After today’s shootaround 76ers forward Thaddeus Young didn’t know he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, but he did acknowledge that he is on a serious roll.

“This is the best stretch I have had since I have been in the league,” Young said.

Now in his seventh year with the Sixers, Young gave a simple explanation for his success.

“It is just being confident and going out there and playing and having fun and not worrying about anything else.”

That would include trade rumors or rumors in general. A few weeks ago Young denied a published report that he was seeking a trade.

Unlike many players who insist they don’t pay attention to rumors, Young says in this day and age, it is difficult not to see the rumors.

“You see it when it pops up on Twiter and things like that in social media,” he said. “Somebody called me the other day and said I might be going to the Phoenix Suns and I am like, ‘Ok, whatever.’”

Young was refreshingly candid when asked if he wished all the rumors would go away.

“No,” he said. “Because at the end of the day I am the type of person (that if) you say I can’t do this or you say this or that, I will go out there and just try to basically prove everybody wrong,” Young said.

Young uses anything he perceives to be negative and attempts to turn it into a positive.

“I actually like all the talks and trade rumors, that you can’t do this and Thad is not that,” Young said. “That drives me and motivates me and makes me keep going and working harder each and every day.”

In winning the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Young averaged 25 points, nearly eight rebounds and nearly four steals in road wins over Denver, Sacramento and Portland.

Young finished his week with 30 points in the 101-99 win at Portland, the third time in the last six games he has scored 30 or more points. He had only scored 30 or more points twice in his first 461 games before this current streak.